Self-locking hanger



July 9, 1968 1. J. LONGO SELF-LOCKING HANGER Filed June l2, 1967 Inventor 36 Joseph J. Longo www/94W Attorney United States Patent O 3,391,888 SELF-LOCKING HANGER Joseph J. Longo, 3430 Erie St., Racine, Wis. 53402 Filed June 12, 1967, Ser. No. 645,141 23 Claims. (Cl. 248-203) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A self-locking hanger for emergency equipment or the like such as a re extinguisher, comprising a fixed base hanger portion for mounting to a wall surface, said base portion carrying a pair of inner and outer relatively moveable sleeve elements, a locking device being xedly carried by the outer sleeve and being provided with locking shoulder means extending Within the inner sleeve, the inner sleeve having locking pawl means for intercoupling with the shoulder means of the outer sleeve, said locking device assuming one position whereby said sleeves may be moved relative to one another, said locking device assuming a second position where when one sleeve is extended relative to the other allowing for one of the sleeves to cover the hanger portion, the sleeves being fixed with respect to one another, as the pawl means limit movement of one sleeve relative to the other in engaging with the shoulder means of the locking device, one of the elements in its lower position relative to the other acting as a shroud over the hanger position to prevent a re extinguisher or the like to be hung on the hanger portion, the shrouding portion of one of the sleeves being a moving part and wherein such moving sleeve part may be the inner sleeve or in a modification may be the outer sleeve, the hanger portion in either case being attached to the fixed sleeve.

Summum7 of the invention This invention relates generally to the ield of selflocking hanger arrangements and in particular self-locking hanger devices employed for emergency equipment such as a iire extinguisher.

Fire extinguishers are normally hung from a hanger that is mounted on a hallway wall or the like. When the emergency occurs, such as a fire starting in the building, a person will remove the re extinguisher from its hook on the wall and use it. After he is through he will return it to the hook. Later when a second iire emergency occurs the next person using the previously used tire extinguisher may nd that all the contents of the re extinguisher was used and therefore he cannot put out the fire. It is therefore a general object and purpose of this invention to provide for a self-locking hanger which will prevent the user of the rc extinguisher from returning the iire extinguisher to the hook. Generally such arrangements are known but they have had the inherent defect of simplicity of conf struction and operation where heretofore spring means or other types of biasing means have been employed to cause a self-locking action of the tire extinguisher device to take place. Here no such complicated springs or biasing or complicated lock devices are required.

It is therefore another object of this invention to provide a simple self-locking device wherein an outer part of the locking device moves relative to an inner locking part of the device due to gravity and wherein the parts are extended relative one to the other, the hanging portion of the hook that carries the tire extinguisher being shrouded by one of the parts to prevent replacement of the fire extinguisher on the re extinguisher hook.

It is another object and purpose and advantage of this invention to provide for novel complementary interlocking parts on each of the relatively moveable parts to prevent the parts from being telescopically contracted with 3,391,888 Patented July 9, 1968 ICC respect to one another once the parts are extended relative to one another, such interlocking parts forming a part of a key receiving and lock structure which is operative to permit locking or setting of the self-locking hanger to prevent replacement of a removed re extinguisher.

It is another object of this invention to provide for a pair of reciprocally disposed inner and outer sleeve elements which may assume expanded and contracted position relative to one another and when in the expanded position one of the sleeve elements shrouds or covers the hanger portion to prevent replacement of a removed re extinguisher and wherein the inner sleeve element acts as the moving part and shrouds the hanger and carries pawl like ngers which cooperatively engage with locking structure on the outer iixed member to hold the sleeve elements in the extended position.

Another object of this invention is to provide an outer moveable sleeve element and an inner fixed sleeve element wherein the outer moveable element has a lower skirt or shroud portion to cover the lire extinguisher hanger to prevent replacement of the fire extinguisher.

These and other objects, advantages and purposes will become apparent with reference to the following description, attached drawing and appended claims.

Brief description of drawings FIGURE 1 is a general elevational view showing attachment of a re extinguisher or the like to the novel and inventive self-locking device;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional View of the novel and inventive locking device taken along lines 2 2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken along lines 3-3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is an elevational cross view of the novel locking device partially in section and showing the cover or shrouding portion extended over the fire extinguisher hanger;

FIGURE 4a is a partial view of the novel self-locking device with the inner sleeve and shrouding element orientated at relative to its position shown in FIGURE 4 to show the relation between the locking portions of said devices;

FIGURE 5 is an elevational view of a modified form of the self-locking device;

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view taken along lines 6-6 of FIGURE 5; and

FIGURE 7 is a sectional view taken along lines 7--7 of FIGURE 5.

Description of the preferred embodiments With reference now to the drawings and in particular with reference to FIGURES l through 4a there is shown a tire extinguisher hanger or hook arrangement 1 carrying a fire extinguisher 2 on a wall or mounting surface 3 in a hallway or the like. The tire extinguisher hanger 1 is provided with a hanger mounting plate or base plate 4 provided with a portion 4a. The re extinguisher 2 is provided with a handle arrangement 6 and a lire extinguisher hose 7 carried on a hose hook 7a and has a iire extinguisher ller cap 8 and a fire extinguisher hanging hook or bail 9 for attaching or hanging onto the hanger portion 4a of the hanger 4.

The base plate 4 of the hanger unit 1 is provided with base plate screws 10, 10 for mounting the unit 1 on the wall 3. The hanger unit 1 is provided with weldings 11, 11 which mount to the base plate 4 an outer tubular or cylindrical hollow body in the form of a xed outer sleeve, cover or housing 12. The outer sleeve element 12 has an upper portion 12a which is the key opening portion and also has a middle portion 12b which acts as an enveloping portion or housing about the internal parts of the hanger unit 1. The sleeve element 12 has a lower portion 12C and the lower part 4a of the base plate 4 extends around and underneath but not beyond said lower portion 12C of the sleeve 12 so that hook portion 4a is disposed directly beneath the outer sleeve 12.

The upper portion 12a of the sleeve is provided with a top or annular ridge portion 14 and extending theredown with an annular conical portion 15. The ridge portion 14 is provided with a key unit receiving bore 16 which is adjacent a key lock containing bore 17 whereby a key and lock assembly 18 is mounted in the bore 16 and 17. The lock assembly 18 is provided with a key receiving lock opening 19 for receiving a key 19a to turn a key tumbler structure 20 moveable by said key 19a, the key tumbler structure 20 being fixedly attached to la lock structure 21 whereby the locking structure 21 may be rotated by the key 19a from locked position as shown in FIGURE 4 to an unlocked position as shown in FIGURE 4a, it being noted that in the locked position the key 19a is in a position 90 from that of the key 19a when placed in the unlocked position. The lock structure or member 21 is in the form of a rotatable ratchet having an enlarged portion 22a and a reduced portion 2211, the enlarged portion 22a being cylindrical in cross-section and the reduced portion 22b presenting flat sides 22C and 22d to provide for a shoulder or stop structure 22 to be engaged by pawl-like or tine arms 26 to be described below. A lock nut 23 holds the lock assembly 18 in the upper part 12a of the sleeve element 12 and the coupler 20a completes the drive between the key tumbler means 20 and the lock member 21.

The hanger unit 1 is further provided with an inner tubular member or cylindrical sleeve element or closure element 25 that acts as a skirted or covering sleeve that is extendable over the hanger hook 4a in the shrouding manner. The sleeve element 25 is disposed generally within the sleeve element 12 and,'as does element 12, extends above and over the hook 4a of the base plate 4, as best seen in FIGURES 1, 2 and 3, whereas in FIGURE 4 it is seen that the sleeve element 25 extends down and encompasses or surrounds the hook portion 4a in a shrouding manner to prevent one from placing the bail 9 of the fire extinguisher 2 onto the hook portion 4a. The sleeve element 25 includes an upper cylindrical or tubular portion 25a and a lower part or cover or lock skirt portion 25b. The upper part 25a has on its inner surfaces tine means 26 in the form of tines or arms acting as locking pawls and engageable with the shoulder or stop arrangement 22, the tines having a vertical portion 26a welded to the inner surfaces of the tubular sleeve portion 25a and has an upper diagonally inwardly extending portion 26b, the end of which engages with the flats 22C and 22d of the stop portion 22 of the lock ratchet structure 21, as shown in the locked position in FIGURE 4.

With reference to FIGURE 4a it is seen that the pawl arms 26, 26 are at the lower end of the lock member 21 and the lower end or lower portion 25b of the moveable sleeve element 25 is in its lowermost position as seen in FIGURE 4 where it covers the hook portion 4a. Since it is in the unlocked position, the sleeve element 25 may be moved up and down so that its tine arms 26, 26 slide along the outer diametrical surface portion 22 of the locking structure 21. However, when the key 19a is rotated from the position shown in FIGURE 4a to the position shown in FIGURE 4 the tine or pawl elements 26, 26 are allowed to be slid down the length of the lock member 21 to where their fiexible portions 26b fall against the ats 26a and 26d respectively. The inner moveable sleeve is now in its most lower position and if it is tried to raise the sleeve element 25 upwardly relative to the fixed sleeve element 12 the lower ends of the tine or pawl finger parts 26b engage the under or shoulder surface 22 of the locking member 21 preventing upward movement of the inner sleeve element 25 relative to the outer fixed sleeve element 12 and therefore the lower end of the sleeve element 25 cannot be raised and its lower part 25b remains shroudingly covering the hook portion 4a of the base plate 4. Consequently a removed lire extinguisher cannot be replaced since once the sleeve element 25 is allowed to fall, after the removal of the fire extinguisher, it cannot be replaced.

With reference now to FIGURE 5 through 7 there is shown a modified form of lire extinguisher hanger as identified numeral 30 and comprises an outer moveable sleeve element or unit 31. The outer sleeve element 31 in this particular case acts as the cover or shrouding element that covers the hook portion of the fire extinguisher carrier as will be described below. The outer sleeve element 31 comprises an upper key locking structure portion 31a and a lower fire extinguisher hanger shrouding portion 31h, an annular ridge portion 14, the conical portion 15 and a lock assembly 18 which is provided with a key opening 19 for insertion of a key 19a for operatioin of a lock member such as member 21 shown in FIGURE 4 but differing as to be described below and therefore identified as lock member 33. Since the sleeve element 31 is moveable it is provided with a slot 32 in one of its sides 32a that faces the wall 3 to allow for its reciprocable upward and downward movement relative to an inner fixed sleeve element 36. The lock member or spindle 33 is provided with an annular groove 34 that presents shoulders or stop portions 35 for a pawl or tine structure 40. The lock member 33 has the annular groove 34 placed intermediate its end and at its lower end the lock member 33 has a downwardly tapered or conical portion 35a, the upper portion of 35b of the lock member 35 being cylindrical in cross-section. The outer tubular sleeve 31 which is moveable may extend itself from a position above the hooked portion 39a, as shown in dotted line in FIGURE 5 or 6, to a lower shrouding or hook encompassing position as shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 5 or 6.

The fire extinguisher hanger 30 also has an inner annular hollow or sleeve element 36 which is fixed to the wall 3 and cannot be moved. The fixed inner sleeve 36 is provided with an upper pawl portion 36a and a lower fire extinguisher hook carrying portion 36b. The fixed sleeve element 36 and the fire extinguisher carrying hook 39 both carried by a screw fastening arrangement 38 comprising a bushing 38a having an outer annular groove 38a' receiving portions of both the lower portion 36b of the sleeve 36 and aperture portion of the hook 38 for holding same on the bushing 38a. The bushing is further provided with a bore 38d receiving a screw means 37 therethrough for attaching of the bushing 38 with the inner sleeve element 36 and the fire extinguisher hanger 39 to the wall 3 as shown in FIGURE 6. It will be seen according to FIGURE 5 that there are two such fastening arrangements 38, 38 for holding both the tire extinguisher hanger 39 and the fixed inner sleeve element 36 to the wall 3. These fastening arrangements 38, 38 extend through the slot 32 in the movable outer sleeve element 31 to allow the outer sleeve 31 to move relative to the inner sleeve element 36 to thereby permit the lower end portion 31b of the sleeve element 31 to encompass or enshroud the upturned end portion 39a of the hook structure 39 as seen in dotted line in both FIGURES 5 and 6.

With reference now to FIGURES 5 and 7 it is seen that the inner surface of the upper portion 36a of the fixed inner sleeve 36 is provided with the pair of tine or pawl or finger-like means 40,*40. -Each pawl finger unit 40 comprises an upward vertical portion 40a and angintermediate downwardly inwardly diagonally extending portion 40b and a lower horizon terminal portion 40e which is engageable with the conical portion 35a or the cylindrical portion 35h of the lock or spindle unit 33. The upright arm 40a of each tine 40 is welded by welds of 40d to the upper inner surface of the upper part 36a of the fixed inner sleeve element 36. The tine elements 40, 40 being exible allow for movement of the tapered plunger 33 between them such that the ends 40C, 40C of the tines 46, 40 will engage and be received within the groove 33 when the outer movable sleeve 31 falls all the way down to its rest position as shown in dotted line in FIG- URE 5 or FIGURE 6, at which point the movable sleeve element 31 is retained in a iixed position due to the engagement of the tine ends 40C in the groove 35 and there exists a locked condition so that one cannot raise the outer sheath or sleeve element 31 to replace a tire extinguisher on the hook structure 39. FIGURE 5 shows the lock or spindle member 33 in the locked position which is equivalent to the locked position shown in FIGURE 4 illustrating the earlier described embodiment. Should however the spindle element 33 be rotated 90 as shown for instance to a position described in the earlier embodiment by FIGURE 4a the spindle would be in the unlocked position and the groove would be oriented 90 relative to its position shown in FIGURE 5 such that the ends C, 40C of the tine or pawl iingers 40, 40 could not engage the groove 35 but would rather engage the outer peripheral surface 35C of the cylindrical portion 35h only. Consequently the outer sleeve would be able to be moved relative to the inner sleeve until the hanger unit 30 was placed in the locked position as shown in FIG- URE 5.

Thus it is seen that there is shown a novel locking device for emergency equipment such as a iire extinguisher in that the locking device is of the self-locking type and is placed in an upright operating position to permit gravity to allow for locking to occur rather than to resort to the use of spring means or other biasing types of arrangements. The self-locking device lends itself to simplicity in operation of the parts and requires minimum maintenance and presents minimum wear by the implementation of concentric relatively movable sleeve elements one which shrouds the iire extinguisher hook and the other of which carries unique locking structure to hold the one sleeve element in the shrouding position to prevent accidental replacement of the dire extinguisher that has once been used.

The locking parts on each of the sleeves are concentrically located with respect to one another to insure positive simplified locking action. It is to be noted that the inner and outer sleeve elements have vertically elongated surfaces that cooperate with one another to insure proper aligning and guiding of one sleeve element relative to the other as they reciprocally pass one another in performing the locking and unlocking action of this selflocking device and this also provides for smooth locking and coupling between the locking elements of each of the sleeves. Since the pawl or iinger elements in each modification are iiexible but concentrically surround the locking structure operated by the key there is a definite interlocking relation between the pawls and the grooves or shoulders in the complementary locking plunger or locking member which is concentric and located inwardly of the outwardly located inwardly directed pawl arrangement on the inner sleeve.

The centrally located elongated lock member or stem that carries the locking or shoulder surfaces to receive the pawl elements provides for smooth sliding coaction between each of the sleeve elements and yet insure positive locking action when desired by rotation of the key operating assembly.

It will be noted that in the iirst modification the sleeve elements 12 and 25 are cylindrical whereas the sleeve elements 31 and 36 in the second embodiment are rectangular. It will be appreciated that either embodiment could have either rectangular or cylindrical sleeves. With reference to FIGURE 1 it is noted that the lower end of the sleeve element 25 rests on the upper edge of the tire extinguisher unit 2 and this allows the tine elements 26b to remain on the cylindrical surface 22a and not to fall against the tlats 22C. This is accomplished by adjusting the base plate 4 relative to the outer sleeve 25 so that the lower end of the sleeve 25 is so positioned by the tire extinguisher unit 2 as to keep the tines engaging the surface 22a. The key 19a cannot be removed when the lock element 21 is in the unlocked position but when the key 19a is rotated to the locking position where the tines 26b can engage the iiats 22C and 22d the key 19a can be removed. This prevents removal of the key unless the unit 21 is locked. This operates much like the car ignition lock where the car ignition key cannot be removed when the engine is running. The screws 29 and 29a hold the outer sleeve 12 to the base plate 4 by the holes 29h in the outer sleeve 25 and the holes 29C in the base plate 4. It is noticed that the base plate 4 has additional openings 29:.` to allow for varying the position of base plate 4 with respect to the outer sleeve 12 to accommodate different size re extinguishers to insure that the inner sleeve cannot be removed when the tire extinguisher is on the hook unit 1 as discussed above. It will be noted that the pin 28 iixed to the outer sleeve 12 extends through the open end slot 27 in the inner sleeve 25 to prevent relative rotation between each of the sleeve elements 12 and 25.

The foregoing description and drawings merely explain and illustrate the invention and the invention is not limited thereto, except insofar as the appended claims are so limited as those skilled in the art who have the disclosure before them will be able to make modifications and variations therein without departing from the scope ofthe invention.

I claim:

1. A device of the type described comprising a base for mounting to a wall or the like, a hanger being fixed with said base and having a hook portion, a self lock and hook closure assembly comprising a pair of relatively vertically reciprocal slide elements generally reciprocally disposed with respect to one another and disposed above said hook portion, said assembly having an expanded position wherein said elements assume an extended condition relative to each other and having a contracted position wherein said elements assume a contracted condition relative to each other, one of the elements having a closure part movable into shrouding relation about said hook portion in the expanded position of said assembly, lockout means carried by one element, means for moving said lockout means from a non-locking position to a locking position, lock engaging means carried by the other element and engageable with the lockout means for locking movement of one element relative to the other in the locking position of the lockout means and in the expanded position of the assembly.

2. The invention according to claim 1 and said slide elements being expanded with respect to each other by gravity wherein one of the elements has its part extending below the other of the elements in lsaid shrouding relation about said hook portion.

3. The invention according to claim 1 and said slide elements comprising a pair of inner and outer sleeve members, said inner sleeve member having said closure part shrouding said hook part in the expanded position.

4. The invention according to claim' 1 and said slide elements comprising a pair of inner and outer sleeve members, said outer sleeve member carrying said lockout means.

5. The invention according to claim 4 and said lockout means comprising a movable locking member having a notched portion oriented in one position of movement corresponding to the lockout position for lockingly coupling with said lock engaging means.

6. The invention according to claim 5 and said locking member being key operated.

7. The invention according to claim 5 and said movement being rotational movement.

8. The invention according to claim 5 and said outer sleeve member being fixed with respect to said base and said inner member being movable to a lower position corresponding to the expanded position of the assembly and said inner sleeve member having said closure part shrouding said hook portion.

9. The invention according to claim S and said lock engaging means comprising a pawl means coupled to said inner sleeve member and engageable in the notched portion in the expanded position of the assembly to limit movement of the sleeve members.

10. The invention according to claim 1 and said slide elements comprising a pair of inner and outer sleeves intercoupled with the base, one of the sleeves being movable down relative to the other and over the hook portion to cover same.

11. The invention according to claim 1 and said slide elements being concentrically disposed with respect to one another.

12. The invention according to claim 4 and said inner sleeve member carrying said lock engaging means for locking engagement with said lockout means.

13. The invention according to claim 12 and said lockout means being disposed within said outer and inner sleeve members and said lock engaging means being -disposed inwardly of said outer and inner sleeves and outwardly of said lockout means for locking engagement therewith.

14. The invention according to claim 4 and said lock engaging means comprising a pawl means coupled to said inner sleeve member and engageable with said lockout means to limit movement of the sleeve members.

15. The invention according to claim 9 and said locking member comprising a generally vertically elongated member inside said sleeve members with said notched portion being located at the lower end of said elongated member.

16. The invention according to claim 15 and said outer sleeve member being ixed with respect to said base and said inner member being movable to a lower position corresponding to the expanded position of the assembly and said inner sleeve member having said closure part shrouding said hook portion and said pawl means being an upwardly directed finger engageable with the notched portion of the lower end of the elongated member to prevent raising of the inner sleeve member relative to the outer sleeve member holding the inner sleeve member part in shrouding relation about said hook portion.

17. The invention according to claim and said inner sleeve member being ixed with respect to said base and said outer member -being movable to a lower position corresponding to the expanded position of the assembly and said outer sleeve member having said closure part shrouding said hook portion.

18. The invention according to claim 9 and said locking member being a generally vertically elongated mem'- ber inside said sleeve members with said notched por- Ition being intermediate the ends of the elongated member.

19. The invention yaccording to claim 18 and the lower end of the elongated member being tapered.

20. The invention according to claim 18` and said inner sleeve member being fixed with respect to said base and said outer member being movable to a lower position corresponding to the expanded position of the assembly and said outer sleeve member having said closure part shrouding said hook portion and said pawl means being a downwardly directed finger engageable with the notched portion and preventing raising of the outer sleevemember relative to the inner sleeve member for holding `the outer sleeve member part in shrouding relation about said hook portion. l

21. The invention according to claim 1 and said base having adjustable means cooperative with the element carrying said lockout means for adjustably spacing the hook portion with respect to the lockout means.

22. The invention according to claim 1 and said elements comprising a pair of inner `and outer sleeves constrained for generally reciprocal non-rotational movement relative to one another.

23. The invention according to claim 1 and key means on said one element associated with said lockout means,

said key means being removable only in the locking position ofthe lockout means.

References Cited ROY D. FRAZIER, Primary Examiner.

I. F. FOSS, Assistant Examiner. 

